Step-in snowboard binding

Abstract

Step-in snowboard binding designed to hold a boot by its sides. The binding includes at least one jaw ( 2 ) secured to a driving arm ( 9 ) intended to be driven by the boot. The jaw has a cam-shaped part ( 9 ) collaborating with a locking element ( 12 ) which can move in a guide ( 13 ) in such a way that the jaw is locked for various positions of the jaw. The jaw ( 2 ) is equipped with a return spring which tends to keep it in the open position, and the jaw and the locking element cooperate to keep the locking element away from its locking position when the jaw is raised. In this way, the jaw cannot be closed inadvertently and the locking element does not hamper the closure movement. The binding is equipped with an indicator ( 76 ) which indicates whether the jaw is in the locked position.

What is claimed:  
     
       1. An automatic binding for a snowboard for holding a boot on the snowboard, comprising a baseplate supporting at least two holding means each intended to hold one of the sides of the boot, at least one of these holding means being movable between a locked retention position of the boot and a released position of the boot, and is brought into the retention position by vertical pressure exerted on the binding by the boot, elastic means tending to keep the holding means in one of its positions, a boot-release lever acting directly or indirectly on the holding means and an indicator indicating whether the holding means is correctly engaged in the retention position, wherein a locking element acts in a direction at least approximately perpendicular to the baseplate to lock the holding means, wherein the indicator is mounted in a pivoting manner about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the baseplate, on a fixed part of the binding, and wherein the indicator bears against the locking element. 
     
     
       2. The binding as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indicator pivots under the affect of gravity when the boot is put into the binding. 
     
     
       3. The binding as claimed in  claim 1 , which comprises an elastic means tending to keep the indicator bearing on one of the holding means. 
     
     
       4. The binding as claimed in one of  claim 2 , or  3 , wherein the indicator is at least partly enclosed in a frame when the boot is put into the binding. 
     
     
       5. The binding as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein an exposed surface of the indicator has at least one color. 
     
     
       6. The binding as claimed in one of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 , or  5 , which comprises a baseplate supporting at least one jaw pivoting about a horizontal axis and secured to a driving arm actuated by the boot as the boot is introduced into the binding, and a retaining element opposite the jaw, in which the jaw has a cam-shaped part cooperating with a locking element in the form of a peg which can move in a guide oriented at least approximately vertically and is urged in the locking direction by an elastic means, the locking element and its guide being such that the jaw is locked for various positions of the jaw corresponding to various boot levels relative to the baseplate, wherein the jaw is equipped with a return spring which tends to keep the jaw in the open position, and the jaw and the locking element include cooperating means for keeping the locking element away from its locking position when the jaw is raised and as long as the jaw has not at least approximately reached a position likely to be a position for retaining the boot, and wherein the indicator comprises a piece having an exterior shape of a sector of a disk articulated at its center and bearing via one of its sides on the locking peg so as to follow the locking peg in its downward movement. 
     
     
       7. The binding as claimed in  claim 4 , which comprises a baseplate supporting at least one jaw pivoting about a horizontal axis and secured to a driving arm actuated by the boot as the boot is introduced into the binding, and a retaining element opposite the jaw, in which the jaw has a cam-shaped part co-operating with a locking element in the form of a peg which can move in a guide oriented at least approximately vertically and is urged in the locking direction by an elastic means, the locking element and its guide being such that the jaw is locked for various positions of the jaw corresponding to various boot levels relative to the baseplate, wherein the jaw is equipped with a return spring which tends to keep the jaw in the open position, and the jaw and the locking element include co-operating means for keeping the locking element away from its locking position when the jaw is raised and as long as the jaw has not at least approximately reached a position likely to be a position for retaining the boot, and wherein the indicator comprises a piece in the shape of a sector of a disk articulated at its center and bearing via one of its sides on the locking peg so as to follow the locking peg in its downward movement.